Compressor tube connector seal

ABSTRACT

A hermetic compressor unit including a casing containing a compressor and tube connectors for connecting the compressor to a refrigeration system and a tube seal assembly for sealing the tube connectors to protect the casing from possible outside contamination prior to its connection to a sealed refrigeration system and to permit high pressure leak test during manufacture. The sealing tube assembly comprises a plurality of resilient sealing means which are held in intimate contact with the tube connector by a sealing cap. The sealing cap is provided with a latching arrangement at its free end that permits removable engagement with the tube connector.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,902,629 'Kushner Sept. 2, 1975 COMPRESSOR TUBE CONNECTOR SEAL Primary Examiner-Herbert F. Ross I l h ll K [75] nventor Gerad J Kus ner Louisvi e y Asslstant Exammer Ro E. Hart [73] Assignee: General Electric Company,

Louisville, Ky. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: July 5, 1974 A hermetic compressor unit including a casing containing a compressor and tube connectors for connect- [21] Appl' 486,177 ing the compressor to a refrigeration system and a tube seal assembly for sealing the tube connectors to 52 US. Cl 220/310; 417/902 protect the Casing from Possible Outside contamina- [51] Int. Cl 865d 41/10 tron Prior to its connection to a Sealed refrigeration [58] Field of Search 418/248; 417/902; System and to permit high Pressure leak test during 2 5 2; 220 3 0 324 357 353 manufacture. The sealing tube assembly comprises a plurality of resilient sealing means which are held in [56] References Cited intimate contact with the tube connector by a sealing UNITED STATES PATENTS cap. The sealing cap is provided with a latching ar- 2 069 930 2/1937 T bot 22 /310 rangement at its free end that permits removable ena 3,003,683 10/1961 Manning 417/902 gagemem the tube connecior' 3,767,334 10/1973 Rinehart 418/248 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEBSEP ems 3 902 629 COMPRESSOR TUBE CONNECTOR SEAL BACKGROUND .OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the'lnvention The present invention relates to a hermetic 'compressor comprising a casing containing a compressor and motor and being provided with steel tube connectors for adhesively attaching the compressor to a refrigeration system, and more particularly to a sealing assembly for sealing the compressor casing and the outer surface of the tube connector from possible outside contamination during the high pressure leak testing, manufacturing and storing procedures prior to its connection'to a sealed refrigeration system. The sealing assembly includes a pair of resilient sealing members arranged on the tube connector, a cap member and latching means including tab means and ridge means that remo'vably connects the cap"mernber to the tube connector. To seal the compressor and the outersurface of the connector tube the resilient sealing members are placed on the tube connector andthe cap placed over the tube connector to engage the resilient members.'The cap is driven down until the latching means is adjacent the ridge means and the cap is then crimped to latch the cap to the tube connector thereby maintaining the resilient sealing rnembers in a sealed position. The cap is removed from the tube connector by prying the latching means from the holding' c ap away from the tube connector when thecompressor ready to be connected to a refrigeration system, The above arrangement being effective to maintain the: sealing arrangement during the compressor testing operation wherein the casing is pressurized. I I

2. Description of the Prior Art Traditionally, as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,767,334 to D. C. Rinehart. assigned to General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention, the system for sealing the compressor prior to assembly into the refrigeration system was to provide a connector that was longer than required for connection, with the free end of the connector usually crimped and sealed. The connector was provided with a circumferentially; disposed notch at the proper axial position at which point the crimped end is then broken off-The procedure of crimping and sealing the end of the connector. tube, while acceptable, is a costly procedure in that the seal must be effective enough to withstand the pressure employed in the evacuation and testing steps. Further after the crimped end is removed the end of the connector must be cleaned and prepared for connection to arefrigeration system.

SUMMARYOF: TH-EINVENTION The present invention is directed particularly to a compressor positioned in a casing. including a connec tor having a passageway connecting with the'compressor. The connector includes atube portion and an en larged annular flange portion. A resilient sealing ring is arranged on the flange and a resilient tube seal extends into the connector tube to seal the passageway. The tube seal has a collar portion which engages the outer end of connector tube. A cover including a tubular cap portion is positioned over said tube connector and its closed end engages said collar portion of the tube seal while a circumferentially disposed outwardly projecting sealing surface engages the resilient sealing ring to seal the outer surface of the connector. The cover is latched to the connector tube by a plurality of tabs arranged to removably engage a ridge to compress and maintain said collar portion in engagement with the outer end of said tube portion and said sealing ring in engagement with said sealing surface.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sealing system that is effective in sealing the compressor while at the same time sealing and protecting the outer surface of the connector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a hermetic refrigeration compressor incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the construction of the tube seal assembly; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded disassembled perspective view of the tube seal assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to drawings there is illustrated a rotary compressor 10 comprising a casing 12 in which there is a compressor 14 and motor (not shown). The compressor casing is provided with means for connecting the compressor to a refrigeration system. To this end in one embodiment of the invention there is provided connector 16 in both the suction inlet and an outlet. Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, a suction passage 17 of the compressor 14 extends to the wall of the casing 12 and communicates with an opening 18 therein. While FIG. 2 illustrates the suction tube assembly, it should be noted that the inlet and outlet connectors 16 are identical.

The connector assembly comprises a tubular steel connector or conduit 19 secured to the compressor casing 12. The steel connector 19 has a tubular body portion 20 to which the refrigeration system is adhesively joined and a flange 21 from which a reduced end portion 22 extends into or through the hole 18 in the casing 12 The end portion 22 is preferably of frustrum configuration and is Welded to the casing 12 as indicated to form a fluid tight seal between the casing 12 and the connector 19.

At the completion of the assembly operation of the compressor 10 it is necessary to seal the tube connectors 19 so that the compressor 10 may be evacuated, tested for leaks and to prevent contamination of the compressor parts during final manufacturing procedures and also during storage of the compressor 10 prior to its being connected to a refrigeration system. Since one of several manufacturing steps after the connector 19 is welded to the casing 12 is to paint the casing 12 it is also necessary to seal the body portion 20 of the connector 19 to maintain its surface clean for the application of the adhesive.

In accordance with the present invention means are provided for sealing the connector tubes 19 communicating with the interior of casing 12 and the outer surface of the body portion 20. To this end, in one embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, there is provided a connector tube sealing assembly 24, which comprises a cylindrical cap or cover member 26, a resilient sealing ring 28, a resilient tube seal member 30, and a circumferentially disposed ridge portion 32 formed on the peripheral wall 34 of the flange 21 of the connector tube 20. The resilient sealing ring means is arranged on the shoulder portion 36 of the flange 21 and as will be explained hereinafter provides a seal for the outer surface of body portion 20. The resilient tube seal 30 has a tubular end portion 38 which is dimensioned to be press fit in the passageway of the tube connector 19, to provide a seal, and a shoulder portion 40 for engaging the free end 42 of the tubular connector 19 to seal the compressor casing 12 from outside contamination. To provide an effective seal the body portion 38 of member 30 has a diameter larger than the passageway of the connector 19. To facilitate insertion of the tube seal 30 into the passageway of the tube connector 19, the seal is provided with a hole or recess 31 into which an appropriate tool may be inserted to press the end portion 38 into the passageway of the connector 19 until the shoulder portion 40 is against the free end of the connector 19. In effect, during the insertion process of the seal member 30 into the passageway of the connector 19 the portion 38 is elongated or stretched axially thereby reducing its diameter to permit its entering into the passageway of the connector. The cover member 26 includes a tubular portion 44 having a closed end 46 that engages the shoulder por-.

tion 40 of the resilient tube seal 30 to maintain the shoulder portion 40 between the free end 42 of the tube connector 19 and the closed end portion 46 of the cover member 26. The free end of the cover member 26 is provided with an outwardly extending sealing surface or flange member 48 which engages the resilient sealing ring 28 that is arranged on the shoulder portion 36 of the tube connector 19 to compress the resilient seal ring 28 between the shoulder portion 36 of the tube connector 19 and the sealing surface 48 of the cover member 26 thereby sealing the outer surface of the body portion 29. In the present embodiment disclosed, the tube sealing assembly 24 must remain effective through the testing and evacuation procedures, and the required internal pressures and temperatures which are indicated below.

400 psi internal pressure (room temperature),

50 100 micron evacuation pressure at 325F for 8 hours, and

maintaining a vacuum during long term storage at ambient conditions.

Means are provided in the present embodiment to removably connect the cover member 26 to the tube connector 19. To this end, there is provided an axially extending circumferentially disposed annular wall 50 projecting from the sealing surface portion 48 of the cover 26. The wall 50 is arranged to be adjacent the wall 34 and more particularly adjacent the ridge 32. The free end of the annular wall 50 includes a flared end 52. Formed integral with and circumferentially spaced along the flared end 52 of the cover 26 are detents or tabs 54 which are dimensioned in their normal free position to pass by the ridge 32. To complete the assembly the wall 50 including the tabs 54 is then crimped until the tabs 54 engage over the ridge 32 of the tube connector. The engagement of the tabs 54 with the ridge 32 is effective to maintain the sealing ring 28 and collar portion 40 in sealing engagement between the cover 26 and the tube connector 20 for sealing the compressor casing 12 from possible outside contamination during the following procedure prior to its connection to a refrigeration system. To remove the sealing assembly when required it is only necessary to pry the flared end 52 away from the casing 12 by any suitable tool until the tabs 54 snap over the ridge 2].

While there has been shown and described a specific embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that it is not limited thereto and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A hermetic compressor unit comprising:

a compressor positioned in a casing including a side wall having at least one opening and a connector having a passageway communicating with said opening;

said connector including a tube portion and an enlarged annular flange portion on one end forming a shoulder portion and a circumferentially disposed peripheral wall portion;

resilient sealing ring means arranged on said shoulder portion of said flange;

a resilient tube seal dimensioned to extend into intimate contact with the inner surface of said tube passageway, and having a collar portion engaging the outer end of said tube portion;

cover means including a tubular cap portion positioned over the outer surface of said tube portion having a closed end engaging said collar portion of said tube seal and a circumferentially disposed outwardly projecting sealing surface engaging said resilient sealing means;

an annular wall portion projecting from the peripheral end of said sealing surface being positioned adjacent said peripheral wall portions of said flange portion; and

latching means including means on one of said wall portions being arranged to removably engage means on the other of said wall portions to compress and maintain said tube seal in said passageway and said collar portion in engagement with the outer end of said tube portion and simultaneously maintain said sealing ring in engagement with said sealing surface to seal the outer surface of said connector.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said latching means includes a plurality of tab means spaced radially on one of said wall portions being arranged to removably engage ridge means on the other of said wall portions.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said tab means being spaced on said annular wall portion of said cover means, and said ridge means being formed on said peripheral wall portion of said flange portion. l 

1. A hermetic compressor unit comprising: a compressor positioned in a casing including a side wall having at least one opening and a connector having a passageway communicating with said opening; said connector including a tube portion and an enlarged annular flange portion on one end forming a shoulder portion and a circumferentially disposed peripheral wall portion; resilient sealing ring means arranged on said shoulder portion of said flange; a resilient tube seal dimensioned to exTend into intimate contact with the inner surface of said tube passageway, and having a collar portion engaging the outer end of said tube portion; cover means including a tubular cap portion positioned over the outer surface of said tube portion having a closed end engaging said collar portion of said tube seal and a circumferentially disposed outwardly projecting sealing surface engaging said resilient sealing means; an annular wall portion projecting from the peripheral end of said sealing surface being positioned adjacent said peripheral wall portions of said flange portion; and latching means including means on one of said wall portions being arranged to removably engage means on the other of said wall portions to compress and maintain said tube seal in said passageway and said collar portion in engagement with the outer end of said tube portion and simultaneously maintain said sealing ring in engagement with said sealing surface to seal the outer surface of said connector.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said latching means includes a plurality of tab means spaced radially on one of said wall portions being arranged to removably engage ridge means on the other of said wall portions.
 3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said tab means being spaced on said annular wall portion of said cover means, and said ridge means being formed on said peripheral wall portion of said flange portion. 